Modular counterflow cooling tower

ABSTRACT

A single inlet/single outlet modular counterflow cooling tower having two heat transfer sections installed atop two cold water basin sections and below three fan sections, each heat transfer section having its own water distribution system and draining into its own distinct cold water basin section. The water distribution system can provide flow over both heat transfer sections or over only a single section. The center fan support section supports the mechanical drive system for the fan and has a sealing plate at its bottom for sealing the gap between the two heat transfer sections.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to counterflow cooling towers for coolinghot process water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a modular counterflow cooling tower having aplurality of pre-fabricated modular fan sections (or modules) sittingatop a plurality of pre-fabricated modular heat transfer sections (ormodules), which in turn sit atop a plurality of pre-fabricated modularcold water basin sections (or modules). According to a preferredembodiment, the modular counterflow cooling tower of the invention hasthree fan sections sitting atop two heat transfer sections, which inturn sit atop two cold water basin sections. According to a furtherpreferred embodiment, each heat transfer section contains its ownintegral water distribution system for distributing hot process waterover the heat transfer media in the respective section, and the cooledwater draining from each heat transfer section falls into a separatecold water basin section. According to an alternative embodiment, thewater distribution systems may be an integral part of the fan sectionsinstead of the heat transfer sections. The device is provided with asingle hot process water inlet which may be located near the bottom ofthe device, at a side, end or bottom of one of the cold water basinsections, near the middle of the device, in a side or end of one of theheat transfer sections, or near the top of the device, in a side or endof one of the fan sections. The inlet is connected to an inlet manifoldsystem which provides a fluid flow path up or down to the waterdistribution systems of both heat transfer sections. The inlet manifoldmay have one or more regulators, such as valves, block-off plates, andthe like, for controlling the flow of hot process water to one or theother or both of the heat transfer section water distribution systems. Asingle cold water outlet is provided in the bottom, side, or end of oneof the cold water basin sections, with a water drain path provided fromthe basin without the cold water outlet to the basin with the cold wateroutlet. Each section may be shipped separately and quickly assembled toother sections at the assembly location. The heat transfer sections neednot be connected to one-another or otherwise joined to one-another inthe field, and may instead be supported entirely by the basin sectiondirectly below. According to a preferred embodiment, the center fansupport section has a sealing plate running along the centerline of itsbottom face in the longitudinal direction for sealing the gap betweenthe two heat transfer sections. The fan motor and drive shaft may beassembled to the center fan section pre-shipment, or it may be shippedseparately and assembled to the center fan section at the final assemblylocation. In operation, the fan draws air into the plenum of the coldwater basin sections via air inlets provided on the external facingsides and/or ends of the cold water basin sections, up through the heattransfer media of the heat transfer sections, and out the top of thedevice. Air inlet louvers may be provided on the air inlets to controlthe flow of air drawn into the plenum or to prevent sunlight and debrisfrom entering the cold water basin sections. Heated process water isdelivered to the device via the single process water inlet and deliveredto the water distribution systems located over the fill media where itis cooled in direct heat exchange with the air moving through the fillmedia. The cooled process water falls into the cold water basin sectionswhere it drains to the single process fluid outlet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a modular counterflow cooling toweraccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational end view of a modular counterflow cooling toweraccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a modular counter flow coolingtower according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is an overhead cutaway perspective view of first and second coldwater basin housing according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a different cutaway perspective view of the first and secondcold water basin housing shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of first and second heat transfer housingsaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial cutaway perspective view of a first heat transferhousing according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a first heat transfer housing sittingatop a first cold water basin housing according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 9 is a cutaway side view of a first heat transfer housing sittingatop a first cold water basin housing according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 10 is an overhead perspective view of first and second heattransfer housings according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a partial cutaway perspective view of a first heat transferhousing sitting atop a first cold water basin housing according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a first fan support section accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a center fan support section accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a center fan support section accordingto a different embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a second fan support section accordingto an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of all three fan support sectionsaccording to an embodiment of the invention

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a partially assembled modularcounterflow cooling tower according to an embodiment of the invention.

Features in the attached drawings are numbered with the followingreference numerals:

1 Modular cooling tower 3 First cold water basin 5 Second cold waterbasin 7 First heat transfer housing 9 Second heat transfer housing 11First fan support section 13 Central fan support section 15 Second fansupport section 17 First part of first heat transfer housing 19 Firstpart of second heat transfer housing 21 Second part of first heattransfer housing 23 Second part of second heat transfer housing 25 Topsurface of fan support sections 27 Fan opening 29 Fan 31 Hot processwater inlet 33 Inlet manifold system 35 Inlet Piping 37 Inlet valves 39Basin section riser 41 First water distribution system 43 Second waterdistribution system 45 Heat transfer section riser 47 Water distributionheader 49 Water distribution feed tube 51 Nozzles 53 Heat transfer media55 Cold water egress passageways 57 Cold water outlet 59 Fan motor 61Fan drive assembly 63 Sealing plate 65 Gap

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, modular counterflow cooling towers 1 of thepresent invention have first and second rectangular cold water basin, orbasin housings 3, 5 configured to rest on a foundation, first and secondrectangular heat transfer housings 7, 9 dimensioned and configured torest directly above respective first and second rectangular cold waterbasins 3, 5, and first, central, and second fan support sections 11, 13,15, configured to rest on said first and second heat transfer sections7, 9. First fan support section 11 preferably rests entirely on a firstpartial portion 17 of the first heat transfer section 7, and second fansupport section 15 preferably rests entirely on a first partial portion19 of the second heat transfer section 9. Central fan support sectionspans 13 both first and second heat transfer sections 7, 9, supported bysecond partial parts 21, 23 of the first heat transfer section 7 and thesecond heat transfer section 9, respectively. The combined top surface25 of the first, second, and central fan support sections 11, 13, 15defines a fan opening 27 that corresponds to the diameter of the fan 29,which diameter spans substantially the entire width of the modularcounterflow cooling tower. Each of the first and second cold water basinhousings, the first and second heat transfer housings, and the first,second, and central fan support sections are factory pre-assembled andshipped as modules to the final assembly location for final assemblyinto the modular counterflow cooling tower of the invention.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the modular counterflowcooling tower of the invention may have a single hot process water inlet31, which may be located in an end, a side or a bottom of one of thefirst or second cold water basin housings 3, 5, in an end or side of oneof the first, central or second fan support sections 11, 13, 15, or inan end or side of one of the first and second heat transfer sections 7,9. The single inlet 31 may be connected to an inlet manifold system 33,including piping 35, for directing incoming hot process water to thefirst and second heat transfer housings 7, 9. Manifold system 33 mayalso optionally include one or more regulators such as valves 37,block-off plates, their equivalents, or otherflow-interruption/direction devices for selectively directing incominghot process water to both the first and second heat transfer housings 7,9 or to only the first heat transfer housing 7, or to only the secondheat transfer housing 9. Such regulators could be utilized for plumemanagement, ice management or capacity control or, in the case that oneheat transfer section requires maintenance, re-packing of heat transfermedia.

Separate heat transfer sections also provide redundancy in the eventthat damage occurs to one heat transfer section. According to theinvention, the damaged section can be isolated and the modular coolingtower can continue operation and provide heat rejection during repair ofthe damaged section.

In the case that the single water inlet 31 is located in a cold waterbasin housing, inlet manifold system 33 includes basin section processwater risers 39 for connecting to first and second water distributionsystems 41, 43 of the first and second heat transfer housings 7, 9, viarespective heat transfer section process water risers 45 (see FIG. 11).The first and second water distribution systems 41, 43 may each includea header 47, to which is attached a plurality of feed tubes 49, each ofwhich has a plurality of outlets or nozzles 51 for distribution of thehot process fluid over heat transfer media 53. When the valves 37 aredialed to allow process fluid flow to both heat transfer sections 7, 9,back pressure on the system generated by the pressurized waterdistribution system causes the system to self-balance the flow ofprocess fluid to the two heat transfer sections.

Each of the modular sections described above may be independentlyconstructed and transported to a final assembly location. At the finalassembly location, the first and second cold water basin housings 3, 5may be installed on an appropriately prepared foundation and connectedto one-another so that water may pass from one cold water basin toanother via one or more openings or passageways 55 between them to allowegress of water from both cold water basins via a single outlet 57.

The central fan support section may be transported separately (FIG. 13)or with the fan motor 59 and drive assembly 61 attached (FIG. 14).

The first and second heat transfer housings need not be sealed, joinedor otherwise connected to one-another upon final assembly in the field,simplifying assembly. The center fan section 13 may be constructed withan integral sealing plate 63 extending along the centerline of itsbottom face to cover and seal the gap 65 between the two heat transferhousings.

1. A modular counterflow cooling tower comprising: a first cold waterbasin housing; a second cold water basin housing; a first direct heattransfer housing containing heat transfer media, said first direct heattransfer housing dimensioned and configured to rest directly atop saidfirst cold water basin housing; a second direct heat transfer housingcontaining heat transfer media, said second direct heat transfer housingdimensioned and configured to rest directly atop said second cold waterbasin housing; a first fan support section dimensioned and configured torest directly atop a first portion of a top face of said first directheat transfer section, a second fan support section dimensioned andconfigured to rest directly atop a first portion of a top face of saidsecond direct heat transfer section, a center fan support sectiondimensioned and configured to rest atop and span a second portion ofsaid top face of said first direct heat transfer section and a secondportion of said top face of said second direct heat transfer section; afirst water distribution system located above said heat transfer mediain said first direct heat transfer housing; a second water distributionsystem located above said heat transfer media in said second direct heattransfer housing; a single hot process water inlet located in one ofsaid first cold water basin, said second cold water basin, said firstfan support section, said second fan support section, and said centerfan support section; a single cold water outlet located in one of saidfirst cold water basin and said second cold water basin said single hotprocess water inlet connected to said first and second waterdistribution systems via a water inlet manifold system.
 2. A modularcounterflow cooling tower according to claim 1, said center fan supportsection comprising a sealing plate running along a longitudinalcenterline of a bottom face thereof for sealing a longitudinal gapbetween respective inside longitudinal edges of said first and seconddirect heat transfer housings.
 3. A modular counterflow cooling toweraccording to claim 1, said single hot process water inlet located in oneof said first cold water basin, said second cold water basin.
 4. Amodular counterflow cooling tower according to claim 3, said water inletmanifold system located in one or both of said first and second coldwater basins.
 5. A modular counterflow cooling tower according to claim1, said single hot process water inlet located in one of said first fansupport section, said second fan support section, and said center fansupport section.
 6. A modular counterflow cooling tower according toclaim 5, said water inlet manifold system located in one or more of saidfirst fan support section, said second fan support section, and saidcenter fan support section.
 7. A modular counterflow cooling toweraccording to claim 1, said single hot process water inlet located in oneof said first heat transfer section and said second heat transfersection.
 8. A modular counterflow cooling tower according to claim 7,said water inlet manifold system located in one or more of said firstheat transfer section and said second heat transfer section.
 9. Amodular counterflow cooling tower according to claim 1, said first andsecond cold water basins defining one or more cold water flow paths forpassage of cold water between said first and second cold water basins.10. A modular counterflow cooling tower according to claim 1, furthercomprising a fan drive system configured to be supported by said centerfan support section.
 11. A modular counterflow cooling tower accordingto claim 1, further comprising a fan dimensioned and configured to besupported by said center fan support section, said fan having fan bladeswhat extend above said first fan support section, said second fansupport section and said center fan support section.
 12. A modularcounterflow cooling tower according to any one of claim 1, said waterinlet manifold system including at least one regulator for selectivelydirecting hot process water to both said first and second waterdistribution systems, to only said first water distribution manifold, orto only said second water distribution manifold.
 13. A modularcounterflow cooling tower according to claim 4, said water inletmanifold system including at least one regulator for selectivelydirecting hot process water to both said first and second waterdistribution systems, to only said first water distribution manifold, orto only said second water distribution manifold.
 14. A modularcounterflow cooling tower according to claim 6, said water inletmanifold system including at least one regulator for selectivelydirecting hot process water to both said first and second waterdistribution systems, to only said first water distribution manifold, orto only said second water distribution manifold.
 15. A modularcounterflow cooling tower according to claim 8, said water inletmanifold system including at least one regulator for selectivelydirecting hot process water to both said first and second waterdistribution systems, to only said first water distribution manifold, orto only said second water distribution manifold.
 16. A modularcounterflow cooling tower according to claim 1, wherein said first andsecond water distribution systems are located inside said first andsecond heat transfer sections, respectively.
 17. A modular counterflowcooling tower according to claim 1, wherein said first and second waterdistribution systems are located inside one or more of said first,central and second fan support sections.